Kind Words
Thoughts on High Meadows Camp
My children have been attending High Meadows Camp for over a decade, and it is consistently a highlight of their summers. They have built community and confidence and have made so many lasting friendships- both with peers and the wonderful counseling staff. Both of my children have enjoyed being part of camp traditions, learning new skills, and having adventures that I know they will remember for a lifetime.
— Current Camp Parent
“Out of all of the summer camp programs my son has tried over the years, High Meadows is always the one he asks to come back to. He’s seen many of the same friends and counselors over the years. This makes it a really special camp to come back to each year- not just to the place, but to the people.”
— Current Camp Parent
“There’s something about High Meadows Camp that feels like a portal backwards to a simpler place in time. I know when my kids are there that they are playing hard, climbing trees, laughing with friends, and learning skills like woodworking and animal care. The pressures of daily life like school and technology fade into the background and they are free to be fully themselves. It’s a place they get to just be kids and that is worth its weight in gold!”
— Current Camp Parent
“High Meadows! Our family treasures the magic of this unique human community bonded by the privilege of time at this sacred place on Earth. The invitation many decades ago to teach as “Mother Nature” transformed my life as I’ve learned far more than I’ve taught. Now our family’s fifth generation is encountering the people and values of High Meadows, and we’re looking forward to when he is old enough to be a full participant.”
— Bunny Sheffield, “Mother Nature” for more than 45 summers
“As a camper, my participation in High Meadows camp and its Knighthood program served to afford me with a variety of skills, experiences, and friendships to which I never could have been exposed in a school setting. Later, as a counselor, I was truly honored to be able to share these things with a new generation of campers, including my daughter! I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without High Meadows in my family’s lives.”
— Matt Edelstein, employee, HMC Knight, father of a 2nd generation HMC camper
“High Meadows Camp is a place where you can be yourself, whom ever that may be at that time. It is a place where you grow as a person and it molds you for the rest of your life. Much of how I live my life today was shaped by my days on the meadow. Everything I think of camp, I smile. Some of my closest friends were campers and later counselors with me and it is a friendship to last a lifetime. Many of us joke that months can go by without seeing each other and then when we do, we pick up where we left off. It is a place where you can choose to be a part of the Knighthood program or not. To reach the level of Knighthood takes hard work, dedication and commitment. Becoming the first Knight all of those years ago has made a positive impact on my life. I apply that same hard work, dedication and commitment to my professional life, wanting to see how far I can go. I enjoy coming back when I can to watch others pull the sword Excalibur and become a Knight.”
— Katherine Pebworth, Ph.D. Lincoln Memorial University, The first Knight of High Meadows Camp
“When I first came to High Meadows in the early seventies as a counselor, I knew by the way that the owners treated me and the campers that I had arrived at a unique place – unlike any camp I had seen. Our common denominator was honor. I knew the worth of honor in working with young people. Through books I had recently delved into two arenas of honor – namely the mythical stories of King Arthur and the histories of the Native Americans. Both subjects had become important to me, and both were destined to become vital working parts of High Meadows. Both subjects offered templates for advancement in personal evolution; that is, improving oneself. The Native Americans met personal quests and standings within their tribes. They embraced challenges. The exact same can be said for the road to knighthood. Ultimately, what made me adopt the medieval theme was Merlyn. The idea of magic gave the camp outlets for magical events. The children were captivated, elevated, and filled with hope and magic. The quest to become a knight became a perfect ladder for campers to climb while having fun and learning and realizing self-worth at their accomplishments. From Page to Squire to Sentry to Knight. Our “Stonehenge” was ringed with signs that commemorated each camper who had earned a title. And that Knight plaque stood like a Holy Grail that we stood beneath every day. There is a reason that legend’s like King Arthur’s last through time. There is so much goodness and inspiration embedded in the stories. All of them were fuel for self-esteem. These same noble qualities passed from antiquity through High Meadows and its many special leaders into the children. I know for a fact that these came ethics of honor still live in those campers that I once knew. These former campers make their way through their adult lives passing on that same legacy to their children.”
— Mark Warren, Medicine Bow & creator of the HMC Knighthood Program